Immersing vat



F. HOBBS IMMERSING VAT June 13, 1944.

Filed A ril 12, 1943 lllllllllllllllllll lllllll ll!!!nilll!lllllllllairlullv'ltlai Fm mr Haas:

INVENTOR i qjullcd ATTORNEYS Patented June 13, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 2,351,210 IMMERSING. vA'r Frank Hobbs, seaflewah. Application Aril 12, 1943,. Serial no. 482,722

1 Claim. (01521-62) My invention relates to animmersing vat and a moreparticularly to a vat for immersing timbers in inflammable liquidpreservatives.

In the preservative treatment of wooden timbers by immersion it is notonly desirable that the entire outer surface of the timber be coated bythe fluid preservative, but also that the process be carried on with theminimum of exposure of the workmen to a fire hazard as well as to skinburns and the like resulting from contact with the liquid employed. Nosatisfactory equipment has heretofore been available for the solution ofthe problem presented by such an immersion procedure, and thisconstitutes a definite deficiency in the prior art.

Having in mind the above defects of the prior art, it is an object of myinvention to provide an immersion vat that will accommodate timbers in amanner to insure complete immersion and thorough coating of the outersurfaces thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide, in an immersion vat of thetype described, means that will insure complete immersion and withoutexposure of the operator to undesirable contacts with the liquidpreservative being employed.

A still further and more specific object of my invention is theprovision, in a vat of the type described, of precautionary means thatwill insure maximum protection of adjacent installations and theoperators from a fire hazard and do so without interference in highspeed practice of the immersion method.

The foregoing objects and others ancillary thereto I prefer toaccomplish as follows:

According to a preferred embodiment of my invention, I provide a fluidcontaining vat of suitable size and shape to accommodate timbers to beimmersed. Along one border of the vat is a feed table across which passthe members on their way to the immersion vat, and on the opposite sideor border of the vat is a receiving and draining table for the receptionof immersed timbers immediately after the immersion step. Over the vat asuitable guide rail means is mounted under which the material beingimmersed must pass from entrance to exit from the vat to insure completeand satisfactory im-,

mersion. Above the vat, gravity actuated cover panels are mounted forthe purpose of sealing the vat during periods of non-use. These coversare so retained by means of fusible elements that, in the event that afire should start, the covers will swing shut and seal the vat from anexternal source of oxygen forthe purpose of controlling The novelfeatures that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forthwith particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, however,both as to its organization and its method of operation, together withadditional objects and advantages thereof, will best beunderstoodfrorn'the following description of a specific embodiment whenread in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is aperspective view of my-immersing vat;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the immersing vat,illustratingthe manner of feeding material to and withdrawing such fromthe vat;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an immersing shoe; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the closure retaining means employedin connection with the vat.

An immersing vat, to overcome the defects hereinbefore enumerated, musthave at least two totally distinct characteristics: it must be capableof rapidly and continuously receiving material to be immersed as well aspermitting the ready discharge of immersed material; and it also mustprovide a maximum of precautionary means which will operate in the eventthat fire should occur.

Accordingly, a preferred embodiment of my invention, referring toFigures 1 and 2 of the drawing, is constituted by an immersing vat II]which comprises a plurality of upright walls enclosing an area andhaving a bottom forming the container. It is preferable that thecontainer be rectangular, across which a lateral support member l2, in amid portion thereof, extends from end to end. Parallel to the midsupport member l2 along the edges of the upright walls of the containerare ledge forming members l4 and I6.

Doors IS, IS, hinged to member l2, swing upward out of alignment withthe mid portion l2 and will, when closed downward, rest upon the ledgesl4 and it along those edges of the doors opposite the hinges.

By means of a superstructure 20 and a crosshead 22 retaining means isprovided to maintain the doors in the open position shown in Figure 1.The doors are latched by means of a chain 24 which extends along thecrosshead 22, and includes the fusible links 26, 28 and the anchors 30.In each door is an anchor member 30 which is joined to the chain 24 by afusible link 26 or link 28.

On the under surface of the lateral support member I2 is mounted aplurality of guide rails 34 which have upturned ends 35 to receive andguide timbers as T in their passage through the fluid F in the vat l0.On the feed side of the vat a sloping surface table 36 is provided andon the discharge side of the vat a drain table 38' extends outward.Ordinarily, the timbers fed to the vat are untreated and, consequently,the table 36 may be formed of suitable open structural members having adownward inclination toward the vat. It is preferable that the table 38be formed of corrugated iron or some similar suitable material, so thatthe liquid that will drain off the timbers T when they are placed on thetable 38, after having left the vat, will flow downward and return tothe vat. The feeding of the V.

timbers to the vat is primarily a manual operation accomplished by oneor more operators, who insert the timbers somewhat in the mannersuggested in Figure 1 under the guide rail 34, where upon they may bedrawn out the other side, usually with the assistance of a metal hook orinvention, the fluid within the vat is sealed from an external source ofoxygen and thereupon the flame within the vat will be extinguished.

Although I have shownrand described certain specific embodiments of myinvention, I am fully aware that many' modifications thereof arepossible. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted exceptinsofar as is necessitated by the prior-art and by the spirit of theappended claim.

I claim: An immersing vat, comprising: a container to receive a fluidpool, a structural member across other suitable tool, from which pointthey are raised onto the table ,38. V

In the event that fire should occur upon the surface of the fluid F,which is ordinarily highly inflammable, the fusible links 26 and 28,will melt by reason of the heat that accompanies such a conflagration,and the doors l8 will drop under the urgence of gravity to rest upon theledges M or I6 as the case may be. Immediately,; and this is to benoted.as an important feature of the

